I love a good cobbler.  Mostly because I am not a big fan of pie crusts and so cobbler gives me an easy out.  I mean, really, how can a pie crust compete with a crumbly buttery cobbler topping?  In my book, it can’t.  First, no matter what kind of fancy pants pie crust you make, chances are it will go soggy after a day or two.  Second, cobbler toppings are just so easy to make and there are 100 variations on any given recipe, which is always helpful when you realize–damn–I am out of vanilla.  Or eggs.  Or whatever.

I first had this cobbler when Mike, one of my colleagues, baked it up and brought it into work.  Mike and his partner, Scott, are like the adult’s version of the childhood fantasy when you are convinced your “real” family is going to turn up and whisk you away into a land of privilege and greatness.  You know, the one when you realize you parents just don’t understand and your siblings are lame and so surely there is a family just waiting to take you home to your pony, canopy bed, and Barbie Dream House (three things I always wanted but never had).  Mike is a great cook (when he wants to be) and Scott is a hair stylist at a swanky place in Georgetown.  Hence, the fantasy.  Just imagine…waking up to amazing meals and never having to have a bad hair day.  Perfection!

What I love about this cobbler is it’s simplicity and sweet crust, with just a touch of tang (thanks to the lime juice).  When I first obtained this recipe over a year ago I took a quick glance at it and stuffed it into my “recipe drawer” (mythical) only never to be seen again.  Once Lindsey brought me my BUSHEL of peaches, I knew it was time to revive the long lost cobbler.  And I am glad that I did.

Mike’s Peach Cobbler

4-5 ripe peaches, peeled and thinly sliced

1 cup all purpose flour

1 cup granulated sugar

pinch of salt

1 egg

juice of 1/2 lime

1/2 stick of butter

Peel and thinly slice peaches.  Place in a deep-dish pie pan or cobbler dish.

Melt butter in a medium sized bowl.  Lightly beat egg and slowly to butter.  Set aside.  In a larger bowl, mix together flour, sugar, salt.  Squeeze out the juice of 1/2 lime into the flour mixture.  Add butter/egg mixture to dry ingredients and mix just until incorporated–don’t over mix.

Gently smooth cobbler topping over peaches.  Do not expect to cover every bit of peaches but you should get close.  Bake at 425 degrees for 30-40 minutes, or until topping is light brown.  Serve warm with vanilla ice cream.

Well, it’s catchy enough.  A few posts back I wrote about our jet lag meal of homemade gazpacho and french potato salad.  I didn’t include the potato salad recipe but oh-so astute Sarah picked up on it and has been asking for me to send it along. It’s a lighter take on the original may0-laden potato salad and it’s a great pick if you are going to be eating outdoors, packing a picnic, etc…and especially if you want to avoid any salmonella consequences of eating the original after it’s been sitting in the sun for a couple hours.  So, everybody wins.

The recipe is from Everyday Food, which is like my cooking bible–trustworthy and nearly spot on every time.  Or shall I say every day?  Touche.  I changed up the mustard just a bit and added some whole grain mustard to give the dish a bit more texture and depth.

French Potato Salad

2.5 pounds fingerling or small new potatoes, halved or quartered depending upon size

Course salt and ground pepper

1/4 cup olive oil

2 tablespoons Dijon mustard

1 tablespoon of whole grain mustard

2 tablespoons sherry vinegar

1 small shallot, minced

3 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley

1 teaspoon chopped fresh thyme (I may have omitted this…can’t remember)

1/4 small red onion, thinly sliced

Scrub potatoes and place in a large pot.  Cover with cold water to an inch above potatoes.  Add a generous dash of salt.  Bring to a boil then reduce heat to a simmer.  Simmer for 15 minutes or until potatoes are tender when pierced with a fork.  Run under water to cool slightly then drain.

While the potatoes are boiling, whisk together the oil, vinegar, mustard, onions, salt, pepper and herbs to prepare the dressing.  Once the potatoes are still warm but easy to handle, combine with the dressing.  Serve warm or at room temperature.

It’s  an absolute dream when a friend calls and asks if you want some peaches fresh from the orchard.  Which is the phone call I got today from my dear friend Lindsey, who is especially dear b/c she drove me an hour and a half to pick up my new Mini (red with black stripes so cute) last week.  Of course, I didn’t waste a breath to say “Yes!”  When she asked, “Well how many peaches do you want?”  I felt is was only natural to answer in farm-speak, so to say.

Me:  “A bushel!”

Lindsey:  “A bushel?  Do you know how much that is?”

Me (in the tone of a stubborn 8 year old):  “Um.  Yeah….”  (lie)

Lindsey:  “Ok.”  (she’s a good friend for putting up with me).

TWO ENORMOUS BOXES of peaches later, here I am.  With a full bushel of peaches in my kitchen and yes, a stomach ache from the 4 I just ate.

So, in lieu of the so-so peach ice cream I made last night which was a huge disappointment, I will turn the tables.  Email or link me to any fantastic peach recipes.  I will post the best of the best and hopefully make a dent in my mountain o peaches.

Thank you Lindsey!

Trader Joe’s, that is.  I happen to love that store.  Die hard foodies or anyone considering themselves a gourmand may not share my level of appreciation but I won’t waver.  What I love about Trader Joe’s is that they use quality ingredients and they offer a bevy of shortcuts to meals.  In the mood for curry?  Add some chopped challots, cocounut milk, and Thai chilies to Red Curry Sauce and you are in luck.  Now, most of their basics are a bit on the bland side, which I suspect works well for most–but they don’t take much to fancy up. And, I am not sure what they pump into the air in that store but I also love that the staff is always so damned cheerful.  Maybe it’s the ridiculous shirts they are wearing?  I don’t know but I want it.

Chances are, if you are coming over for dinner any night of the week, there is a good chance we will be having Mexican, Tex-Mex, Mexi-Cali, or any version of the three.  It’s a good thing I don’t actually live in Mexico because if I did I would probably be the star of a TLC show “The 400 pound woman” or even better, “I didn’t know I was pregnant until…”.  Mercy.

I have mastered a few dishes but am frequently looking for new twists or lighter versions on my standbys.  I found a recipe for Manchego-Mango Quesadillas on the Trader Joe’s website as a finalist in an “innovative ingredient” contest and was ready to break out the skillet.  These are quick and are a great way to incorporate a ripe mango into your Mexi meal.  Also, I have to admit, Manchego is one of my fave cheeses so it doesn’t take much to convince me to serve it with anything.  You can make as many or as few of these as you like, so the quantities are approximate.  Generally, one mango will be sufficient for 2-3 quesadillas.

Manchego Mango Quesadillas

1 package flour tortillas

Manchego cheese, thinly sliced

2 ripe mangos, thinly sliced

1 small package Goat cheese

Vegetable oil

Heat one teaspoon vegetable oil in a skillet over medium-high heat.  Lay thin slices of manchego on top of one tortilla, place in skillet.  Heat until cheese begins to soften then layer on slices of mango.  Spread a thin layer of goat cheese on top of a second tortilla.  Lay the goat cheese tortilla down on top of the first.  Flip and heat on the other side until lightly browned and crisp.  Serve warm.  The recipe recommended Trader Joe’s peach salsa with these and it was a lovely complement for the sweet  and savory quesadilla.

Ok, I know.  It’s been a LONG time since my last post.  I havecontinued to be a a little blog-lazy, I will admit.  Thanks to the pestering of a handful of friends, and loyal blog readers, I have finally motivated to start writing again.  And, if it’s anything like riding a bike, then I will up and running in no time at all.

It’s not as if I haven’t been cooking because I have been cooking up a storm.  But, a lot of our meals right now consist of salads from our farm share with fresh fruit for dessert.  And, does anyone really need a recipe for peaches and cream?  I think not.  Regardless, I love this time of year when the produce is so fresh and bountiful.  It’s hard not to take advantage of it.  Our farm share has finally shaped up into meal-worthy produce.  Initially, it was a little heavy in the lettuce department.  Each week I would show up excited and hopeful to pick up a bag of farm fresh produce…only to walk away with a bag full of assorted lettuces.  Maybe some gigantic freaky looking scallions.  And radishes.  Sigh.  Jon, however, thought this was hysterical.  Once he got over his initial fear that we would be eating all lettuce, he chose to laud my “$400 assorted lettuces.”  Whatever.

The heirloom tomatoes are in full season right now and I can’t get enough of them.  And maybe that’s because they are the “don’t judge the book by it’s cover” of tomatoes.  The crazier-looking they are, the better they taste.  And I love them.  I made us a gazpacho on our first night back from our trip to Dubai.  We were both jet-lagged beyond belief and wanted something simple and light.  I served this with a French New Potato Salad and a Caramelized Onion, Ham and Guyere Tarte.  It made for a great “welcome home dinner.”  This recipe is meant for one large serving, or two small ones.  It can be easily doubled if you want to enjoy Gazpacho as your main course.  Because fresh tomatoes do not tend to refridgerate well, I recommend you eat your Gazpacho the same day it is made.  If you want a version that will keep for a couple days, consider using canned whole tomatoes.  This recipe is courtesy of Everyday Food, with a couple small variations.

Gazpacho

1 large tomato

2 inch piece of cucumber, peeled, seeded, chopped

2 inch peice of green pepper, chopped

1 garlic clove, minced

1/4 teaspoon red wine vinegar

1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil

1/6 jalapeno, chopped and seeded (optional)

Coarse salt and ground pepper

Shaved Manchego cheese (garnish)

In a blender or food processor, pulse tomato chunks until smooth.  Add cucumber, green bell pepper, garlic, vinegars, olive oil and jalapeno and pulse until you reach your desired texture.  Only add the jalapeno if you want the added heat and, because it’s fresh, remember that a little will go a long way.

Season with salt and pepper.  Chill for 30 minutes and then serve with shaved peiced of manchego or another cheese with a hard texture.  Lightly drizzle with olive oil and fresh pepper.  Serve immediately.

So, if you are like me and you have splurged on a delux ice cream maker, then you know (guilt) better than to let it sit on the counter and gather dust.  This summer, I have jumped at any and all recipes for homemade ice cream or sorbet that can be easily thrown together.

For some reason, I am a little adverse to the more complex recipes that call for you to make a warm custard beforehand, let cool, etc….Probably because I don’t like stirring anything for more than 5 minutes (except my risotto and that’s only b/c it is so worth it).  When I came across the recipe for Cherry Buttermilk Ice Cream, I was instantly taken.  It calls for a few simple ingredients lobbed into the ice cream maker and waa-laa (plus wave of the magic wand) it’s done.  It’s got a slight tang to it, thanks to the buttermilk, but the cherries nicely balance out the flavor.  Now I pitted and chopped my cherries the night prior, so thanks to the wonderful world of oxidation they were a little darker the following day.  Hence, my ice cream did not have that hot  pink color.  But, it still looked and tasted great.  The original recipe is from justJENN, a favorite on my blogroll.  I changed it up a bit with a reduced fat milk, a little vanilla, and a bit extra buttermilk.

Cherry Buttermilk Ice Cream

2 cups reduced fat milk (or whole milk, if you prefer)

1 1/3 cup low fat buttermilk

1 1/2 cup white sugar

1/2 cup brown sugar

1 tablespoon lemon juice

1 cup heavy cream

1 teaspoon vanilla

2 cups chopped fresh cherries, pitted with juices reserved

Mix milk, buttermilk, cream, sugar, vanilla, and lemon juice in a medium-sized bowl until well mixed.  Pour into ice cream maker and whip it.  Whip it good.  Sorry, couldn’t resist.  Prepare ice cream according to manufacturer’s directions.  Once ice cream has reached a soft consistency and is about half-done, add chopped cherries and continue to whip it.  Again, too easy. Yes, they look like something out of True Blood, but trust me they are wonderful and worth all of that finger-staining, pitting and chopping effort.

Once ice cream is done, freeze until it reaches desired firmness and serve.  justJENN recommends serving with ginger cookies but we found this a perfect treat on it’s own.

In all honesty, I can’t end this post without revealing that I just found a link to download the Whip It ringtone to my phone.  Which is exactly what I plan on doing so I can laugh every time my phone rings.

Tonight I made a yogurt marinated chicken (which turned out amazing), some veggie kabobs, and a feta spread with warm pita bread.  All in all, it was pretty tasty.  I was a little ambitious in my planning and had originally prepared some tofu-scallion kabobs with a cilantro lime sauce.  Unfortunately, these fell by the wayside as the dinner prep began.  First of all, let me describe the breakdown of cooking in our household…I cook, bake, and do the clean up most nights.  Jon grills.  It’s that simple.  He does a mean steak and has a recipe for award-winning hamburgers (really, he does).  BUT, when it comes to anything non-steak or burgers, he tends to get a little antsy.  Like I just asked him to grill a bag of jelly beans or a live squirrel.  Which of course I would NEVER do.  Seriously.  So, when I handed him the tray of tofu-scallion kabobs, he looked at it and said, “what am I supposed to do with this?”  (Like it wasn’t perfectly obvious).  But, in his defense, I didn’t properly “skew” the tofu so it ended up just grilling the cut ends and then falling through the grates.  Lovely.  So, we did without.

The recipe for the feta spread is so quick and easy.  I love this because it is great to pull out at a moment’s notice and pairs perfectly with a full bodied red or a crisp white wine.  And, if you are like me and you tend to keep these ingredients on hand, it takes about 5 minutes to whip up.  I originally got the recipe from my Mom, then adapted it a bit to add the fresh dill.

Feta Spread

8 ounces feta cheese

3 tablespoons fresh dill

1 garlic clove, finely chopped

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 tablespoon milk

1 teaspoon oregano

Put feta and garlic into a food processor and pulse until well combined.  Then slowly add olive oil while continuing to pulse.  Add milk at the end only if you want to thin out the consistency or if you prefer a slightly milder flavor.  The milk will probably shorten the “shelf life” a bit, I expect but you can refrigerate the leftover spread.  Another option would be 1-2 tablespoons of lemon juice, but this will lend a different overall flavor.  Food for thought….

Once you reach a relatively smooth blend in the food processor, scoop out the feta spread and place in a small serving dish.  Add a couple dashes of oregano and stir to combine.  Finish with a dash on top.  If you want to get fancy, drizzle a little olive oil on the top as well.  Serve with pita chips, warm pita bread, or fresh veggies.  The feta lends a strong, lovely flavor so a little goes a long way.  Enjoy!

I was a little frenetic with my cooking and ended up just winging it for my Brown Bag Asparagus and Baked Rigatoni with Sausage and Peppers.  Unfortunately, I didn’t get my act together to take stellar photos and post them in time so you will just have to imagine how wonderful the dishes look.  And, just for those of you who will hold out…I will post my rigatoni recipe upon my return.  Hopefully I will also have a little travel inspiration so I can make all things…Dubai??

Brown Bag Asparagus

1 pound fresh asparagus, ends trimmed

1/2 lemon, thinly sliced

2 bay leaves

Kosher salt, to taste

Olive oil

1 brown bag

Whenever I try to roast aparagus, it always comes out wampy.  Either soggy and overcooked or bland and undercooked.  I just can’t get it right.  When I found this recipe, I was a little doubtful but willing to give it a try.  I love it b/c it doesn’t require excess seasoning and the flavor is so simple and light.  The recipe is from Tyler Florence’s Tyler Ultimate cookbook.  My Mom gave this to me as a gift during her last visit.  Knowing my Mom, I have to assume the cookbook is either awesome or was on sale.  So far, I am going with awesome.  The only caveat with this recipe is that you need to get enough olive oil or Pam on the outside of the brown bag so that it doesn’t burn up in the oven.

Trim asparagus ends and rinse well.  Pat dry.  Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.  Drizzle asparagus with olive oil and place in a brown paper bag.  Sprinkle Kosher salt and cracked pepper over asparagus.  Lay a few thin lemon slices and two bay leaves over aparagus.  Fold up paper bag so that no ends are left open–this helps steam the asparagus and keeps the flavor in.  Once the bag is ready for the oven, drizzle a little olive oil over the bag or spray Pam on the outside to prevent it from bursting into flames.  Hey, it could happen I guess.

Cook for 20-25 minutes and remove from the oven.  Using a pot holder and/or tongs, CAREFULLY open the paper bag and remove the asparagus.  Be careful not to burn yourself on the hot steam and juices.

Serve immediately and enjoy.

Back in a week!

My first clue that this wedding would be unlike the Virginia-based affairs I have attended this past Spring is that there seemed to be a lot of Sambuca being passed around.  At 2 o’clock in the afternoon.  My second clue was the polite request for “no gifts” but assigned wedding party duty positions attending “the cash box.”  Oh yes, there was a “cash box” in lieu of gifts.  Which at first I thought was incredibly tacky.  Until I saw the huge bag of loot (i.e., cold, hard cash) being lifted from it at the end of the night.  Really, it was just a box dressed up all fancy-like for a wedding.  Kind of a grown ups version of the Valentine shoe box we all toted to school in 2nd grade.

But, it only gets better.  Immediately after depositing your “gift” into the box o moolah, you were presented with a present (oblong white serving tray, which I was thrilled with).  THEN, you moved along to the SHOT TABLE.  This is your opportunity to toast the bride and groom and, oh yeah, take a shot with the groomsmen.   You may think I am kidding but I am not.  There were a couple hundred shot glasses lined up and an assortment of liquors–Amaretto, Kahlua, Sambuca, and Cognac.  No, there was sadly no tequila, which is exactly what I would have asked for.  Instead there were the four misfit liquors that we all probably keep stashed in the back corner of our liquor cabinets.  Ever wonder how to get the party started?  Just give all the guests a shot of Sambuca as they enter the room…

One of the BEST aspects of the entire shebang was the bag of Quaker Minis Sea Salt and Lime rice cakes that were in the gift bag we received at the hotel.  These are like healthy versions of the Hint O Lime Tostitos and I ate the entire bag.  In bed.  After the reception.  I blame it on the Sambuca.

So, in honor of our dear friends and their mafioso-style wedding, let’s talk calzones.  I love a good calzone and generally have enough ingredients on hand to throw them together any night of the week.  It’s not quite the same guilt as eating a huge slice of cheesy pizza but it is also a rich and filling meal.  (And probably with the same amount of cheese).  I make a homemade red sauce, usually a variation of my favorite marinara sauce.  For that recipe, see Seeing Red.  In lieu of time, I usually obtain my pizza dough from my favorite Italian deli, which is right up the street.  If you don’t have this convenience, stop by a local bakery or two…you are bound to find one that sells homemade pizza dough.  Or, if you live close to the much-loved Trader Joe’s, pick one up there (kept in the refrigerated section near the cheeses).  Keep it in the freezer until ready to use then you will cut your prep time in half.

I also tend to vary my calzones depending on what’s in my fridge.  This time around, I used chicken sausage with lemon, garlic and parsley (courtesy of Eastern Market), turkey pepperoni, green bell pepper, and cherry tomatoes.  I tend to shy away from all pork sausage and pepperoni and so this combo worked well.  Another favorite is sausage and broccoli or spinach and mushroom.

Quick Calzones

1 batch fresh pizza dough, at room temperature

Flour (for rolling dough)

2 large chicken sausage links

handful of turkey pepperoni

1 cup part-skim ricotta

1 cup shredded Mozarella cheese

1 small green bell pepper, thinly sliced

handful of cherry tomatoes, sliced in half

1 teaspoon Italian seasoning

1/4 teaspoon garlic salt

2 tablespoons of olive oil

1 egg, lightly beaten

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.  Allow pizza dough to come to room temperature.  Thinly slice bell pepper and saute in a tablespoon of olive oil over medium-high heat.  Once tender, remove from heat and add an additional tablespoon of olive oil.  Raise heat to high.  Add cherry tomatoes and saute just until seared but not soggy.  Remove from heat.

Remove sausage from casings and cook in a separate skillet over medium-high heat.  Gently crumble as sausage cooks.  Once done, set aside.

In a small bowl, prepare ricotta mixture.  Add ricotta, Italian seasoning, and garlic salt.  Then add sausage and mix well.

Separate pizza dough into two balls.  Roll out to 1/4″ inch think, about 8′ in diameter.  Use a little flour on work surface to prevent from sticking.  Place half of ricotta mixture on pizza dough.  Layer with peppers, tomatoes, Mozarella cheese and pepperoni.  Fold pizza dough over the layered toppings and crimp edges to seal.  Repeat with second half of pizza dough and remaining toppings.  Bake at 375 degrees F for 30-4o minutes or until the calzones have risen considerably and are golden brown.  While the calzones, are baking prepare your marinara sauce according to directions.  Keep warm until the calzones are ready to be served.  If desired, brush the tops of the calzones with a little egg wash during the last 10 minutes of cooking.

One bite and you will say, “that’s amore!”  Pour a shot of Sambucca and enjoy.

Several weeks ago we hosted a pre-wedding brunch, complete with mimosas and all kinds of brunch snacks.  One of my favorite dishes to pull out for a brunch is a Torte Milanese.  It’s basically a layered torte complete with eggs, smoked turkey, spinach, red peppers and cheese.  It takes a little advanced prep but it serves up as lovely as it tastes…and that is such a treat!  Especially for someone like me, who tends to be a little photo-challenged when it comes to taking pics of food. It just doesn’t disappoint.

I don’t have a specific recipe that I follow to a tee for this one.  It’s a little of this and a little of that.  But you get the drift.  And, I can’t knock my “winging it” approach because it seems to work each time.

Torte Milanese

1 pound (2 sheets puffed pastry, thawed)

1 dozen large eggs

1.5 pounds leaf spinach

4 red bell peppers, thinly sliced

8 ounces Swiss cheese

8 ounces Mozzarella cheese

1 pound smoked turkey

1/4 cup chopped chives

Salt and pepper to taste

4 tablespoons olive oil

Remove puffed pastry from freezer and allow to come to room temperature, about 45 minutes.  Lightly butter a 9 inch springform pan.  Roll the first sheet of puffed pastry out until it is thin, about 1/4 ” thick.  Lay in the bottom of pan and bring edges up and over the sides of the pan.  Ideally, you want about a 1″ border of pastry hanging over the sides but I find this is also hard to achieve.  Don’t sweat this.

In a large skillet over medium-high heat, saute sliced red bell peppers and a pinch or two of salt in 2 tablespoons of olive oil until tender.  Set aside.  Heat 2 tablespoons olive oil in a second large skillet over medium-high heat.  Add leaf spinach by the handful.  Allow the spinach to wilt then move to the side of the pan.  Continue doing so until all the spinach is wilted.  Once spinach has been wilted, press against a colander or wring out (by the handful) in a paper towel.  You will want to press out all excess juice.  This takes a bit of time but it is worth doing so.  Careful not to burn yourself with the hot spinach!

In a large bowl, lightly whisk eggs.  Add a dash of salt and pepper and 1/4 cup chopped chives.  Stir to combine.

Lay 1/2 Swiss cheese on the bottom of puffed pastry in pan.  Pour egg mixture over cheese.  Layer with remaining Swiss cheese, spinach, red peppers, smoked turkey and 1/2 Mozzarella cheese.  Repeat layering starting with spinach and ending with Mozzarella cheese for a total of two layers.  Gently roll out second piece of puffed pastry.  Lay across springform pan.  Bring the bottom layer of pastry up and seal edges.  Crimp or be fancy if you want.  If you have extra pastry, cut into shapes and lay across top of the torte…I found hearts to be particularly appropriate (and CUTE) for our pre-wedding brunch.

Bake at 400 degrees Farenheit for 45 minutes or until pastry is puffed up and golden brown.  If you have any egg leftover, you may lightly brush the top with egg to give it a shiny glaze.

Allow to sit for 20 minutes prior to serving.  This is works well served warm or at room temperature.